The present invention generally relates to apparatus and a method for selectively changing the orientation of a mirror, and more specifically, to mirror mounted in or on a vehicle and employing a wireless remote control for changing the field of view of the mirror.
A variety of manually controlled mirrors are typically provided on vehicles, including an interior overhead rear-view mirror, one or more side-view mirrors, and visor mounted vanity mirrors. Another mirror now sold for use in a vehicle is intended for monitoring a child strapped into a rear-facing child car seat. This mirror is mounted and manually positioned so as to enable a driver (or other person) seated in the front seat to view the reflection of a child seated in the rear-facing child car seat by looking at the reflection of that mirror in the conventional overhead rear view mirror.
Several patents have been issued that are directed to mirrors for viewing an infant sitting in a car seat facing toward the rear. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,155 (Brennan et al.) discloses a clamping arrangement for attaching a child monitoring mirror to the back cushion of the rear seat in a vehicle. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,455 (Sorenson) discloses an infant observation mirror that is attached to an infant car seat to enable a driver to view the infant in the conventional interior rear-view mirror. A roof-mounted mirror that is intended for use in conjunction with the conventional interior rear-view mirror for viewing an infant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,898 (Rubin). The roof-mounted mirror is hinged so that it can be folded up into the head liner and can also be used by a passenger sitting in the rear seat as a conventional vanity mirror. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,572 (Cossey) discloses a mirror that is mounted to the back cushion of a rear seat for viewing an infant and which has an adjustable post secured by a pin for controlling the height of the mirror. The mirror is mounted using a spring-loaded bracket that extends over the top back portion of the rear seat cushion in a vehicle.
It would be desirable to enable a user to remotely control the orientation or field of view of a mirror used for viewing an infant. Although the prior art references noted above enable a driver to manually adjust the orientation of a mirror to enable a rear-facing child to be viewed, such manually adjusted mirrors can readily move out of position due to vibration of the automobile or motion of the supporting seat. The child can also change position sufficiently in a car safety seat so as to be outside the field of view of the driver. To correct the mirror position, a driver should stop the vehicle, and enter the back seat of the vehicle to make an adjustment, return to the driver""s seat in order to check the view, and repeat these steps, if necessary, until the proper mirror orientation is achieved, and then continue driving. Within a short time, the mirror may again need to be readjusted due to automobile vibration, supporting seat movement, a child or toy hitting the mirror, or other disturbances to the mirror or child""s position. It would be unsafe for the driver to adjust such mirrors while driving, and leaning over the front seat to reach the mirror is often not possible, particularly for a short driver. Thus, it would be very desirable to enable a user to remotely readjust the orientation of a mirror with a wireless controller, without leaving the front seat. The adjustment of a remote controlled mirror could safely be accomplished while stopped at a stop sign or stop light.
If a remotely controlled mirror is provided for viewing a child or for other purposes on a vehicle, it would be desirable to provide a user full control over the angular position of the mirror about one or both of the X and Y axes. Such a mirror could be used in many other applications besides viewing an infant. For example, an exterior wireless remote controlled mirror could be mounted on one or both sides of the vehicle that was purchased without exterior side mirrors, or to replace manually adjusted side mirrors. Use of such a wireless remote controlled mirror would eliminate the expense and difficulties of routing direct wire connections between a position controller and the mirror(s), and would enable greater flexibility in relocating and readjusting the mirror for various purposes.
Motorized side-view mirrors are often provided as factory installed options on vehicles. However, these motorized mirrors are controlled by a factory installed four-position switch that is hardwired to the mirror by a factory installed wiring harness. The four-position switch is typically located near the driver and if two side mirrors are provided, typically includes a selector switch so that the driver can determine whether the left or right side mirror is controlled by the four-position switch. These switches are connected to the vehicle""s electrical system and hardwired to the side mirrors. If a vehicle was purchased without the motorized adjustable side mirrors, there is typically no easy way to retrofit the vehicle with after market add-on mirrors of that type. Thus, it would be desirable to provide wireless remotely controlled side mirrors that can be retrofitted without the need for installing hardwired switches and complex wiring harness.
One remotely adjusted side mirror is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,905 (Jensen). In this invention, which is intended for use on a truck and trailer, a transmitter is mounted at a rear corner of a trailer and directs a signal at an acute angle outwardly from the side of the trailer toward the front of the vehicle. When the truck turns relative to the trailer, the signal from the transmitter is received by a receiver in the outwardly extending rear-view mirror, causing the mirror to change angular position horizontally so that more of the area to the side of the trailer is visible to the driver. When the truck and its trailer are again generally aligned, the signal from the transmitter is no longer incident on the receiver, and the mirror then returns to its normal position in which it shows less of the area to the side of the trailer and more of the area to the rear. In a second embodiment, the transmitter is selectively controlled in response to a steering gear position. However, each embodiment disclosed by Jensen automatically adjusts the position of the mirror in response to the orientation of the vehicle, and not under the control of the user.
Accordingly, it will be apparent that there is a definite need for a wireless remote controlled mirror for use in various vehicle applications. Such a mirror could be used for viewing a child, as a new or replacement side mirror, or as an auxiliary mirror for extending the view of different portions of the environment around a vehicle. For example, an auxiliary mirror that is capable of wireless remote control could be very useful in extending the view of the road when towing a trailer or carrying loads that block the normal rear view mirror view. The ability to remotely adjust the orientation and view of such a mirror with a wireless control would enable the mirror to be positioned where optimum benefit can be achieved, without requiring any wiring to be installed (if a battery supply is provided on the mirror), or if it is desirable to supply vehicle power to the mirror, by providing only a single power lead to the mirror.
In accord with the present invention, a wireless remote controlled mirror includes a base; a prime mover that is attached to the base, a reflective lens movably coupled to the prime mover; and a receiver that controls the prime mover, such that in response to a wireless signal received by the receiver the prime mover reorients the reflective lens. Preferably, the base is attachable to an object such as an automobile seat or other surface using either a strap, a clip, a clamp, a mounting frame, one or more bolts, an adhesive, or other suitable mount. The reflective lens is coupled to the prime mover and pivots with respect to the base when driven by the prime mover. The prime mover, which is preferably an electric motor, rotates a threaded shaft that engages threads coupled to the reflective lens, causing the reflective lens to pivot. The receiver receives an RF signal from a remote controller that causes the prime mover to drive the reflective lens in a desired direction by pivoting it about an axis.
One application of the present invention is directed to a system that enables a front-facing person (e.g., the driver) in a vehicle to remotely control the mirror to view a rear-facing passenger disposed behind the front-facing person, for example, to view a child in a rear-facing child safety seat. Preferably, the wireless remote controlled mirror is mounted either to a rear passenger seat that supports the rear-facing child seat, or directly to the rear-facing child seat. It is also contemplated that the wireless remote controlled mirror might be fabricated as an integral part of a rear-facing child seat. The wireless remote controlled mirror is directed toward a front of the vehicle such that a reflection of the child in the wireless remote controlled mirror may be viewed by the front-facing person, who is looking at the reflection in a conventional rear-view mirror of the vehicle. Preferably, the position of the wireless remote controlled mirror is controlled with a four-way directional switch included on a hand-held remote controller, such as a key fob, in which a transmitter is disposed. The wireless remote controlled mirror can alternatively be mounted on other surfaces of a vehicle and used for other purposes besides viewing a rear-facing passenger.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for positioning a wireless remote controlled mirror that includes a reflective lens pivotally mounted in a housing.